Ukraine updates: Kyiv coordinating ‘offensive actions’ in areas
These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, June 5.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, June 5.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, June 5.
- Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar says Bakhmut remains the “epicentre of hostilities” and that Ukrainian troops were conducting “offensive actions” on the front line.
- The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, says Ukrainian forces are “moving forward” near Bakhmut, which Russia claims to have captured last month.
- Russia says its forces thwarted a major offensive in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, killing 250 soldiers and destroying tanks and armoured vehicles.
- Two drones fell on a highway in Russia’s Kaluga region, which lies south of Moscow, with the governor saying on Monday that no explosives detonated.
Zelenskyy hails Ukraine soldiers for advances near Bakhmut
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised his troops for advances they claimed near the devastated town of Bakhmut, in attacks that Russia said it had repelled.
“Well done, warriors! We see how hysterically Russia reacts to any step we take there, all positions we take. The enemy knows that Ukraine will win,” Zelensky said in a video message published on social media accounts.
EU restrictions on Ukraine grain imports extended to September 15
The European Union will extend to September 15 restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products imposed by five member states seeking to protect their farmers, the commission said.
The bloc will “phase out by 15 September” the measures affecting Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed that were adopted due to “logistical bottlenecks” in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, the commission said in a statement.
Is the war in Ukraine entering a critical stage or a new phase?
EU sanctions nine Russians over jailing of opposition figure
The European Union says it has imposed sanctions on nine Russian officials involved in the jailing of Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Kara-Murza, 41, was sentenced to 25 years in April in a high-security prison on treason and other charges for criticising Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The sentence was the longest given to a Russian opposition figure in recent years.
The “outrageously harsh prison sentence clearly demonstrates the political misuse of the Russian judiciary in order to suppress civil society and independent voices opposing Russia’s illegitimate war of aggression against Ukraine”, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a statement.
Among those sanctioned were the deputy justice minister, judges, and other members of the judiciary, as well as a senior prison official “responsible for the degrading treatment, which has led to a considerable deterioration of Kara-Murza’s health”, said the statement.
No clear success of Ukrainian counteroffensive, analyst says
Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer in military strategy and law at the University of Portsmouth, says that in the coming weeks and months, Ukraine will experience a series of setbacks and successes – but it is too soon to predict a decisive result.
“The general rule – and there are huge exceptions to this – is that you need a three-to-one numerical preponderance,” Ledwidge told Al Jazeera, speaking from Oxford.
“The Ukrainians do not have that. What they do have and can assemble is local superiority, equipment, and the human element, which is morale and leadership and training, which is certainly more developed on the Ukrainian side than the Russian one.”
“The difficulty is the length of the lines and the degree to which they can penetrate into Russian lines before coming under Russian air umbrella, which means they will be vulnerable to Russian air attacks,” he said.
Biden: US and Denmark working together to address Russian aggression
The United States and Denmark are working together to address Russian aggression in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said during an Oval Office meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“There’s a shared commitment to the core values and that gives us our strength – at least that’s what I believe,” Biden said. “Together we’re working to protect those values – including standing up for the people of Ukraine against the brutal aggression of the Russians.”
Opinion: Sanctions on Russia may not be working, we now know why
The sanctions targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, as well as Russian companies and several sectors of the Russian economy. In the following months, the sanctions regime against Russia was expanded with eight more instalments, hitting its most valuable exports to Europe – oil and gas – and curbing its access to products that could be used in its war on Ukraine.
By the looks of it, the EU will continue to impose new sanctions, as Russian aggression and war crimes show no sign of abating.
But despite the wide-ranging measures imposed and Brussel’s commitment to uphold them, some observers are claiming that they have failed.
Read more here.
Foreign minister says Ukraine has enough weapons for counteroffensive
Ukraine has enough weapons for its counteroffensive against Russia, and the operation will give the country the victory it needs to join NATO, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Membership of the military alliance would “probably” only be possible for Ukraine after the end of active hostilities, Kuleba said in an interview in Kyiv.
He did not say whether the counteroffensive had started when asked.
Russia is defying terms of the Black Sea deal: Ukraine
The Ministry for the Restoration of Ukraine says Russia has resumed registering ships but is still defying the terms of an agreement to ensure the safety of grain exports by not inspecting vessels correctly.
In a statement, the ministry said Russia had registered two vessels that declared their participation in the deal the same day, adding: “This goes against accepted vessel inspection rules which require that those that are longest-standing are inspected first.”
Russia’s TASS news agency had reported that ship inspections had resumed earlier on Monday.
Zelenskyy meets the British foreign minister in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Kyiv, and discussed preparations for a NATO summit in July and Ukraine’s formula for ending Russia’s invasion.
“During the meeting, we discussed important topical issues: Ukraine’s expectations from the NATO Summit in Vilnius, promotion of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and preparation of the Global Summit on its implementation, as well as the London International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram under a video of the two men meeting.
“We are very grateful for the support that the UK has provided and continues to provide to Ukraine. In recent weeks, we have held talks with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. There was a direct dialogue, and very important agreements were reached,” Zelenskyy added.
Ukrainian forces being held back in Donetsk: Russia
Russia’s defence ministry says it is holding back attacks by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region near the settlements of Novodonetske and Oktyabrske.
“The enemy offensive is successfully being held back by the actions of the units, artillery fire and air strikes of the Eastern Group of Forces,” the ministry said
Counteroffensive claims are to divert attention: Ukraine
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister says Russia’s claims that Ukraine has begun its counteroffensive is meant to direct attention away from Moscow’s losses around Bakhmut.
“Why are the Russians actively releasing information about a counteroffensive? Because they need to divert attention from the defeat in the Bakhmut direction,” Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram.
Maliar added that Bakhmut remains the “epicentre of hostilities”.
“There we are, moving along a fairly wide front. We are successful. We occupy the dominant heights. The enemy is on the defensive; he wants to hold his position,” she said.
Russia’s defence ministry said it thwarted a “large-scale offensive” in Donetsk, suggesting that Ukraine had begun its highly anticipated counteroffensive.
As Wagner forces withdraw, what’s next for Bakhmut?
The head of the Wagner Group says Ukrainian forces have retaken a settlement near Bakhmut just as his fighters left the city after claiming victory last month.
“Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost; the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!” Yevgeny Prigozhin said.
At the same time, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian forces were “moving forward” in Bakhmut.
Al Jazeera’s The Take speaks to experts about what’s next for Bakhmut as Wagner forces withdraw.
Putin address in border regions is ‘fake’: Kremlin
The Kremlin says a radio address by Putin heard on Russian stations in regions bordering Ukraine was fake and the result of a hack, Russian news agencies report.
RIA news agency said a number of radio stations had carried the hoax address.
“All of these messages are an utter fake,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Independent Russian media reported that the announcement had told residents of the Rostov, Belgorod and Voronezh regions, all of which border Ukraine, that Kyiv’s forces had crossed into Russia.
The hoax address added that martial law had been declared in border regions and a nationwide military mobilisation had begun, telling residents that they should evacuate deeper into Russia.
Two Russian bombers fly over neutral Norwegian waters
Two Russian strategic bombers have carried out routine flights over the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway, the defence ministry says.
The flights of the Tu-95МС long-range bombers lasted five hours and were carried out “in strict compliance with international airspace regulations”, the ministry said.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 467
Click here for a roundup of the key events on day 467 of the war.
‘No prospects’ for grain deal extension: Russia
Russia’s foreign ministry says it sees no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, Russian news agencies reported.
The TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying it was continuing consultations with the United Nations and that ship inspections had resumed.
The RIA Novosti news agency also reported that a new round of Russia-UN talks would occur in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 9.
Russia has repeatedly threatened to quit the deal, complaining that obstacles still remain to its food and fertiliser exports.
Cross-border attacks a distraction for larger offensive: Journalist
Journalist Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said military analysts have said that the recent cross-border attacks in Belgorod were a distraction for a larger attack in Donetsk.
“The main focus is on the border region of Belgorod now, and in the morning, the Ukrainian army fired more than 70 shells and launched multiple rocket systems at the village which borders the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region,” Shapovalova said.
“Locals say the town of Shebekino has been wiped off the face of the earth now. There is no electricity, water or WiFi service in the city right now.”
Shapovalova added that while some people in Shebekino have gone into temporary accommodation centres, many villagers and farmers have said they cannot leave their livestock behind.
Russia says it repelled Ukrainian attempt to cross into Belgorod
Russia’s defence ministry says it repelled a Ukrainian attempt to cross into the Belgorod region on Sunday, Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Moscow said “more than 10” Ukrainian fighters had been killed by air and artillery strikes.
On Sunday, an anti-Kremlin group said it had captured several soldiers during a cross-border raid into the Belgorod region and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities.
The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, also reported fighting with “Ukrainian saboteurs” in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka.
Ukraine says it has no information on Donetsk offensive
Ukraine’s military says it has no information about an offensive Russia said Kyiv had launched at five points along the front line in Donetsk.
“We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake [news],” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said in response to a question from the Reuters news agency.
No comment on Donetsk offensive: Kremlin
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not answer questions about Ukraine’s counteroffensive during his daily press briefing, the Russian TASS news agency reported
Peskov told reporters that the Ministry of Defence could answer any questions about the “special military operation” and referred to the ministry’s statement on the alleged offensive.
Earlier on Monday, the Russian defence ministry said its forces thwarted a “large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction”.
Ukrainian grain yields could fall by 20 percent
While most of Ukraine’s winter grain crops are in good condition, grain yields could fall by 20 percent if dry and hot weather persists, the APK-inform consultancy firm quotes agricultural scientists as saying.
Grain output decreased to about 53 million tonnes in 2022 from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021 after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
The government has said that in 2023 the harvest could decline to 44.5 million tonnes.
“In general, weather conditions for most of the spring period were sufficiently favourable for growth and development of winter cereal crops,” Ukraine’s National Academy of Agrarian Sciences said in a report.
“However, in case of continuation of dry weather in the period of grain filling, especially on the background of high air temperatures. … the share of lost yields can be from 15 percent to 20 percent.”
Wagner boss says settlement near Bakhmut retaken by Ukraine
Leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says Ukrainian forces have retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut.
“Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost; the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!” Prigozhin said in an audio message published by his press service.
He urged Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to come to the front to rally the troops.
“Come on, you can do it!” he said. “And if you can’t, you’ll die heroes.”
Prigozhin’s private army captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops.
Earlier in the day, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian troops continued “moving forward” near Bakhmut.
Russia’s thwarting claims are ‘impossible to verify’: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, says Russia’s claim that its military thwarted a Ukrainian offensive is “impossible to verify”.
“The Ukrainian authorities and Ukrainian military, in the last few days, have started working on a campaign of silence. They released a video showing heavily armed Ukrainian soldiers putting their fingers to their lips, literally warning the public and warning the military to stay silent on any kind of information from the front line,” Stratford said.
Stratford explained that while there is no information from the Ukrainians, the timing of Zelenskyy’s announcement about an imminent counteroffensive is “very interesting”.
US statement on bilateral arms control is ‘positive’: Kremlin
A statement by United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan calling for bilateral arms control discussions was “positive”, says the Kremlin.
On Friday, Sullivan said the US would abide by the nuclear weapons limits set in the New START Treaty until it expires in 2026 if Russia did the same.
“This is an important and positive statement by Mr Sullivan. Of course, we expect it to be de facto confirmed by steps through diplomatic channels, and then the proposed formats for dialogue can be considered,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty in February.